The Manufacturing Marketer

Today we’re talking all about commodities. And if your job involves marketing them, you might sometimes feel a bit out of the loop when it comes to typical industrial marketing strategy – even things like positioning become a lot more challenging when we’re talking about these products. So what do you do instead? Let’s talk about it. Connect with Brendon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendonforrest/ Connect with Nihal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nihal-shetty-267658214/

We covered a lot in our 22 IMC Live episodes this year, so we’re gonna run through our thoughts on what was flashy and what we think is foundational and worth carrying forward into 2026. No context. Just the list. Then, Allen and Peyton will dive in to a few specifics.

Peyton Warren, a host of IMC Live and contributor to the Industrial Marketing Collective, dives into the future of industrial marketing. The discussion covers the importance of community engagement and real-world presence. Peyton argues for strong personal brands and the strategic use of AI—emphasizing human creativity over AI reliance. They also touch on creating high-quality, engaging content and the value of local marketing initiatives. Expect insights on balancing innovative tactics with community-driven strategies!

Today, we’re getting a little zany. Since we’re approaching the end of Q4, we wanted to make an episode checking in with you about your budgets for the upcoming year. And what we specifically want to talk about is the role of an experimental line in your marketing budget - why it matters, and how you can use it. Let’s dig in.

Almost everyone's using generative AI, but not in the same ways. And why are the best use cases being gatekept by marketers in the know? Peyton and Allen lead a discussion with other Gorillas to go through the use cases and AI strategy most exciting for industrial marketers today.

Today, we’re talking with Director of Projects here at Gorilla 76, Alex Monroe. Alex has been reshaping the way we do work here at Gorilla from a project management viewpoint, and he has some ideas for industrial marketers broadly on what they can do to manage their workload and deliver results on time. Let’s dig in.

Brendon Forrest, a marketing consultant specializing in industrial companies, joins hosts Peyton Warren and Allen Fennewald to tackle the challenge of effective messaging in manufacturing. They explore why alignment issues often hinder messaging implementation. Brendon shares strategies for converting positioning into actionable sales tools, emphasizing the importance of internal marketing. The trio also discusses how to evaluate messaging effectiveness through analytics and the need for consistent communication to drive better leads and results.

We’ve brought Kelly Battaglini, back from her recent episode on product marketing to dig more into product launches. Connect with Kelly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kbattaglini/

In this episode, Kelly Cicconi Battaglini, a product marketing leader with over 13 years at Phoenix Contact, shares her expertise in B2B industrial automation. She discusses how to create compelling value propositions that resonate with customers and energize distributor partnerships. Kelly emphasizes the importance of aligning sales and marketing through strategic incentives and collaboration. She also highlights creative, budget-friendly tactics for smaller teams to implement enterprise-level strategies and drive real sales momentum.

Wes Temple, a strategist at Gorilla 76 specializing in data-driven marketing for industrial companies, joins Brendon Forrest and Allen Fennewald to discuss building effective marketing budgets. They delve into working backward from revenue goals to establish realistic budget needs and explore calculating close rates and cost-per-lead. The conversation emphasizes balancing digital and traditional marketing, avoiding common budgeting mistakes, and the importance of ongoing expense tracking. Essential insights for anyone in manufacturing marketing preparing for future growth!